180 Mr. W. S. MacLeay's Additional Notes on Capromys. 



penetrans being JVigua, and the British West India name for it being the 

 Chigoe or Jigger. I beg to state also, that I have lately met with Dr. 

 Poeppig's Paper on Capromys, printed in the Philadelphia Transactions, 

 by which it appears that this gentleman had forestalled several of my 

 remarks. The perusal of his observations, moreover, makes me think 

 that the animal described by Mr. Say as Isodon pilorides, is not the Mo~ 

 huy of Oviedo, but only some variety of the Capromys Fournieri, or the 

 Hutia Congo. Isodon pilorides of Say will therefore be, as Dr. 

 Poeppig thinks, only a synonym of Cap. Fournieri, Desm.; and Capro- 

 mys prehensilis will be the true scientific name (as assigned by Dr. Poep- 

 pig) of the Mohuy, or Hutia Carabali. This matter would doubtless 

 have been cleared up long ago, had the five animals I sent you alive in 

 the Aurora Frigate, Capt. Austin, arrived safe ; for you have a ready ac- 

 cess to books, that in this out-of-the-way place I can only expect to see 

 by the merest accident. 



I doubt much whether the Hutia Carabali has a tail so prehensile as 

 Dr. Poeppig describes, I have seen a negro catch one by its long tail, 

 and then swinging it, completely prevent it from being able to turn and 

 bite him. The animal seemed indeed to be helpless when thus suspended 

 by the tail. It is astonishing the force with which these Hutias will cling 

 by their claws to the hollow of a tree. I have seen one, rather than let 

 go his hold, allow a negro who had caught him by the tail to pull it off. 

 Both the Capromys Fournieri and C. prehensilis are very partial to ca- 

 terpillars and chrysalids, but I observe they do not care much for sapro- 

 phagous larvse, such as those of Dynastidm, &c. They will also eat dried 

 grass or hay. Their favourite food, however, in their native woods, is 

 the bitter wild orange which has fallen to the ground, and so become de- 

 composed. At night, which is their period of activity, they descend to 

 eat these rotten oranges, and any other fruits or seeds that may have 

 fallen. The Hutias are so plentiful in some districts of this island, that 

 it is no uncommon thing to maintain the whole of the negroes on an In^ 

 genio, or sugar estate, with them as their principal or only animal food. 



